The Velvet Strawberry
by Cherri J. Ookami
Summary: A collection of drabbles for multiple CCS couplings, such as S&S, E&T, C&Y, etc. Entry One: Tempest


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura. All rights to that belong to CLAMP.

The Velvet Strawberry

A Cardcaptor Sakura drabble collection

**Entry I: Tempest**

Pairing: Sakura & Syaoran

_A picture is worth a thousand words._ That quote was quite confusing. It can say so many things at once. But can the message a picture conveys speak the three words Syaoran Li had never felt? His deep brown eyes glared with a shadowy mist as he stared into a photograph. Sakura was in it, in all her natural beauty. His time reminiscing about the past only flowed for about 3 minutes until he let out a sigh. Past was past. And there was nothing anybody could be able to do to change that. Every night, Syaoran would wake in his mind, seeing Sakura again. She was so close to him, yet so far away. Nobody knew about his episodes but himself.

"Why do you haunt me?"

---

The sun set over her head, Sakura ducking from under her roof. She frowned sadly at the umbrellas passing her window. Despite the imminent storm approaching, she left the window open. The girl coughed, face wrinkling softly. The winds and rain outside crept through the passageway and laid themselves over Sakura during the nightly hours. No matter how cold she felt, she always stared out into the blue. She hugged a small blanket over herself, the silken tips keeping her from the frost.

Sakura Kinomoto sat up, attempting to remember again why she had the window opened so wide. Oh yes, she thought, it was because it was their anniversary. It was 2 years since Syaoran had returned to Japan. Since that day, she felt so hopeless. Despite the eagerness of his arrival she had, the day was anything but joyful. The hopes of him loving her again were growing weaker, along with her small body. The storms outside forbade him from meeting her again. She coughed again, sipping a cup of warm hot chocolate. Somehow, this warmed her soul and let her continue the night of waiting. Syaoran will come back to me. '_I know it._ '

---

A knock on the apartment door broke the silence in the room. Sakura leapt from the windowpane and unhooked the latch slowly. "Hello the—" she stopped midway in her greeting. Syaoran was standing before her, holding a towel and a bottle of water. Something told her that the heavens heard her prayers and answered them, hoping that it would keep her alive.

"Excuse me. I heard you from upstairs. I'm not sure if you know me." He said gently, motioning for her to take his offerings. "But, I wondered if this would help you feel a little better. I can't imagine seeing other people so sickly, especially on storms like these." A warm smile replaced the dismal frown on his face, giving her a familiarly happy feeling. She analyzed his words slowly, registering if it were a dream or just her imagination playing games.

"Thank you." Sakura whispered, blushing a bright crimson color. "Would you like anything to eat?" she asked, hoping to stir a conversation.

"Oh yes, that would be very nice of you." He said, bowing slightly. He studied her intently and frowned deeply. "You look so familiar."

Those words hit her heart like a mallet through ice. But that did not stop her from making the best of the situation. Their moments together only lasted for an hour, but to Sakura, the moments seemed to fill the spaces of months apart. The girl had crawled into bed, by Syaoran's request. He was pacing around her bed slowly, occasionally peeking if she had fallen asleep. After a few more minutes passed, neither had fallen asleep. Syaoran stared at her exasperatedly and thought, '_Go to sleep already!'_ Apparently, Sakura had found this amusing. She chuckled blissfully, face lighting up for the first time in ages.

"You expect me to go to sleep with you watching me?" she inquired playfully.

"Does that mean you do not trust me?" he asked in mock disbelief.

She grinned at him as he took a seat next to her. _'Thank you for coming back to me.'_ was the only thing running in her thoughts. Syaoran ran his hand through her forest of hair, placing it over her forehead. "Still quite ill, I suppose." He stated. Staring across the breadth of the small apartment, he noticed something.

"Oh dear." He said concernedly. "This is the problem."

He pointed his finger at the open window, billowing gusts of wind into the room. Sakura's eyes widened round as galleons, hoping that he would remember again. He walked back to her, but continued to stare at her sadly. Syaoran put his hand back onto her head, forcing Sakura's head onto the pillow slowly. She stared deeply into his dark hazel eyes, remembering how much she missed being with him.

"You should rest now. " Syaoran said, lifting his hand off her head. "You shouldn't worry. I'll be here to take care of you."

Her eyes fluttered quickly, eyelids feeling heavier with every breath. She grinned idly at Syaoran, who returned the same idle grin. The wind was still blowing, but the storm seemed to be slowing. Time was also slowing, but in the best way possible. Finally, she was with the one she loved, no matter far away Syaoran seemed. Her memories of him would never be gone and she hoped that she could create more memories to make her unforgettable to him.

"Good night, Kinomoto-san." And with that, he shut the window… for the last time.

---

**Owari**

Endnote: Hmm. This is part one of my drabble collection. For those who reviewed for my other stories, please hold tight. I've been having eternal troubles and am trying to revamp my pre 2004 stories.

Next entry: Eriol & Tomoyo- Velvet Strawberries


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